Politics and Spirituality

Wisdom Teachings
The Basics
Spirituality

Leadership, in the spiritual sense, exists everywhere. It is impersonal and functional rather than individual. The principle of leadership is the manifestation of the Lord as a means of carrying out the Plan of the whole creation through the power of organisation. Millions of atoms are gathered by one around Him, and the result is the constitution and the organisation which we call the birth of an organism, may it be the individual plant, animal, human being, planet or the solar system.

The principle of leadership, as a manifestation of the Lord, makes the existence of unity possible. It works through political, religious, social or academic leaders to organise society in a particular place or at a particular time. It embodies the concept of justice and leads to an accepted ethical and penal code of laws. We instinctively seek protection and long for someone to safeguard us, to uphold our rights and ensure we receive what is due to us.

In ancient times, there were human communities governed by judges, upon whose reason the community relied. Later, the judges were replaced by kings. Their dual role as ruler and judge was not an easy one, for even the ruler is to be judged according to the Law. There were wise kings who regarded their throne as a means of service rather than a means of power. These were the king initiates, who exercised self-control and acted of their own free will, in harmony with the divine Will. Their governance was focused on the welfare of all living beings rather than on self-interest. They established the Law and the legal system for the benefit of those who were still undeveloped, guiding and uplifting them through love.

Later, there were kings who were guided by sages and prophets. They ensured that the king acted wisely and worked for the good of the whole. With the onset of the Dark Age, the ideal of a government guided by sages faded. Those in power strove for power and money. Kings regarded themselves as being above the Law and were flattered by their advisers. Partiality and nepotism took hold. The sages were side-lined, and justice tended to be blind.

Today, justice is not only subordinate to those in power but is often also subject to economic considerations. The economy dominates politics and the Law. Many ordinary people have lost faith in the government and the judiciary, as these institutions bow to the power of money. This gives rise to injustices and social imbalance. Economic activities that do not serve the good of society rob people of their life force.

When the blockages become too great and powerful nations create dangerous political conditions in weaker countries, destruction will inevitably follow. The Aquarian energy clears away crystallised structures so that people can continue their good work. Nature knows neither compromise nor leniency towards what is wrong. It has a wise way of filtering things.

Many people think that business life, one’s profession, or even politics and spiritual practice are incompatible. Yet for the teachers of the New Age, these areas of life present no obstacle. There are disciples in every sphere – in business and politics, in the fields of education and health, research and development. These people may not speak as we do, but they are engaged in working on the Plan. They teach by their example and not merely through words. They embrace life wholeheartedly and work within it. At the same time, they remain free and detached. They inspire through every one of their actions.

On a global level, there are not yet many politicians who work for the good of humanity, and they usually do not have much say on the world stage either. We should pray for the well-being of those who serve society and the nation. May goodwill prevail within them. We can ask the Divine to grant us good leaders, so that our country’s political leaders may change for the better or be replaced by better leaders.

There are some members of Shambala who hold high positions in world politics. From there, they direct activities of goodwill and lead selfless lives. They are courageous; they hold fast to the will of God and realise it on earth. We are now to increasingly call upon the Shambala energies for greater justice on earth. We should also pray for the well-being of all and work towards it. If we do not perform good deeds, we cannot make progress.

Today, new groups of intelligent people are rapidly emerging in all fields; they do not belong to any religious community or specific ethnic group, yet they work through them. These groups take a positive or neutral stance towards every system. They are the practical spiritualists. Humanity is led by individuals, and decisions are made by those who hold high office. We can pray that their decisions may be beneficial to humanity.

It may seem that harmful decisions made by those in power do not come back to haunt them personally but are carried out at the expense of a large number of innocent people. Even many uninformed and harmful decisions taken at levels without financial or political power appear to have no consequences for those responsible. Yet no one escapes the law of karma. We should not think it is a great privilege to hold a position of power, for those who do not fulfil their role consciously and with good will incur a great deal of karma. It would be better for them if they were not in power.

When we hold a position of power, we are to be impartial. We must not allow our personal views to influence us or make decisions based on likes and dislikes. People who work with an impartial attitude and generally make decisions with good will escape the law of karma. However, anyone in a position of power who makes malicious decisions incurs heavy karma and will be subjected to a long process of atonement and repentance over a series of lifetimes.

Essentially, the choice of our governments depends on our karma. Every country elects its government in accordance with its national karma. Our national karma is merely fulfilled by the government that rules us. That is why we continue to have corresponding karma in every nation. We endure this karma and purify it by accepting it and working through it, for most of these things cannot be avoided.

We are to take care not to become a cause of negative karma for a large number of people. Right understanding requires profound knowledge. That is why kings have always been guided by initiates. Today, governments have advisers, but how much of that advice is actually put into practice depends on so many factors. That is why those in power in every country run a great risk of incurring karma. If their decisions are made with the right intention and turn out well, there is no karma for those in power. Even if the decisions go wrong, no karma is incurred if the intention is right, for what counts is the intention.

Sometimes the intention is good, but on the path to implementation there are corrupt people who distort the whole affair or enrich themselves through their position of power. They then prevent the good intentions from reaching the wider public. In such cases, the individuals who have twisted a good plan and steered it in the wrong direction are responsible, and this becomes a heavy karma for them. Those in power do not incur karma, provided they have made their decisions with good intentions.

If people divert what is intended for millions of people for their own profit, they incur the heaviest karma. The good they do would help them, but decisions they make with malice will completely destroy their journey in evolution. Only those who are open to spiritual laws can understand this.

Governments also make wrong decisions, and there is a certain malicious intent behind these decisions – malicious in the sense that they do not have the welfare of all nations in mind. When a government makes a decision, it should think not only of its own population, but also of the world as a whole, for its decisions have an impact on neighbouring states or countries with which it has trade relations, as well as on countries that are connected to it in other ways – be it culturally, socially or economically. All of this is to be taken into account before decisions are made. One cannot simply make a decision and thereby cause suffering to the rest of the world’s population. In such cases, too, those in power accumulate a great deal of karma. It is precisely here that the connection between cause and effect is particularly serious at present.

We should align ourselves with the principle of goodwill and the associated laws and ensure that our existence causes no harm to anyone else. Harmlessness (Ahimsa) is the fundamental quality for this.

Sources used: K.P. Kumar: The Aquarian Master. Dhanishta, India. Var. seminar notes (www.aquariusbookhouse.com)